Halfway Point
by Maidenstear
Summary: Ayame is the one reaching now, but is it too late? ONESHOT


Aneko: Kon'nichi wa, minna-san! Someone said I should make a sequel to my fic Repentance, and I guess in a way, this is it, so enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, and blah blah blah…

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Halfway Point

Ayame bounded into class, putting an arm around Shigure's shoulder.

"Good morning Tori-san, Gure-san!"

Hatori merely looked up from his book, then kept reading, but Shigure turned to look at Ayame.

"Goodness Aaya, you're even later than usual this morning. Is something wrong?"

"No, no no!" Ayame smiled, putting his hands on his hips. "Besides needing the time to fix my hair for this morning I went on an important errand!"

Hatori looked up again, paying more attention this time.

"Really?" Shigure said, surprised. "What was it?"

Ayame shook a finger in Shigure's face. "No! It is too wonderful to reveal now! I'll show you on the way home!"

"Aw can't you tell us now?" Shigure whined, begging, trying to give Ayame puppy dog eyes.

Ayame brushed off the gesture. "It's a surprise."

Hatori shut his book with a snap, making Ayame and Shigure look at him. He stood up, looking down at Ayame. "Come on, Ayame. We have student council duties today, remember?"

"But of course, Tori-san! Let us be off!" Ayame, who had sat down, jumped up, striking a gallant pose. "To the school defense force!" He set off, walking briskly towards the council room, with an important-looking expression, and Hatori walking behind like a normal person.

Shigure shook his head, scratching it, as he watched the two walk away. "That Aaya. I wonder what he's done now…"

* * *

Ayame walked with Shigure and Hatori, babbling about the "wonderful surprise," which he had not yet explained.

While the three arrived at different times in the morning, they always walked home together(whether Hatori felt like dealing with the other two or not. They usually followed him).

"This way!" Ayame called, walking ahead and pointing down a different street than they usually went down.

The other two followed him until they arrived in front of a vacant building.

"Aaya, is _this_ what you wanted to show us?" Shigure asked, staring at it.

Ayame nodded happily. "Indeed, Gure-san! Isn't it marvelous? It's got a living area _and_ a shop area- perfect for business!"

"Ayame, do you mean," Hatori pointed to the building, "That this is _your_ store?"

"Correct, Tori-san!" Ayame nodded proudly. "When I saw it, I simply could not believe how perfect it was, and immediately sought to find out if it was for sale. Naturally the owner was so won over by my charm, the price was soon decided! As soon as we graduate I will move in; and of course others shall flock to my overflowing confidence and charisma, and seek out my store!"

"Aaya, you _bought_ a _store_?" Shigure raised his eyebrows, looking at Ayame.

"I did! Don't be so surprised Gure-san. Graduation is not far off, and one can never be prepared enough for the future. I'd been saving for a while, for an opportunity to arrive, and this building is it!"

"But Aaya, what will you sell?" Shigure asked curiously, as the three turned, beginning to walk home again.

"Who knows? I'm working on that this very moment!"

* * *

"I need to rest!" Ayame flopped back, flinging his arms out to each side, as his aback hit the floor. "All of this work is damaging to my fragile health." He turned to look at Hatori imploringly. "Tori-san may I look at your answers?"

"No." Hatori didn't look up from his reading (since he had already finished his work). "Ayame, how can you expect to get out of high school if you don't do the work?"

"I know!" Ayame popped up again, smiling and ignoring the comment. "I'll go make some tea!"

"Does that mean I get some too?" Shigure asked hopefully, pointing to himself.

Ayame thought about it. "Hmm…I'm feeling generous, so yes you may, Gure-san." He said graciously.

"Yay!" Shigure clapped his hands.

"Ayame," Hatori spoke up suddenly. "maybe since your moving into your store once school is out, you could let your little brother come live with you."

Ayame halted in the doorway, then turned back. "Oh yes, him…why should I do that?"

Before Hatori could reply, Shigure looked up at Ayame from his chair, his face a mixture of disbelief and humor. "Don't tell me…you've forgotten his name? He's your little brother, Aaya!"

"Well I think he's got it pretty hard at the main house." Hatori said, carefully leaving Akito out of the blame.

"Hmm…maybe." Ayame said, walking towards the kitchen; but the only thing on his mind was making tea.

* * *

Ayame hummed, sorting through the boxes of multi-colored fabrics before him.

"Yes, these will be _perfect_ to start with!" He declared, sitting back on his heel and smiling. He looked up as there was a little knock on the door, and the bell tinkled as someone entered.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" A female voice called.

"Be right with you!" Ayame jumped up, walking carefully around the boxes, and looked out from behind the shelves. "Yes?"

It was a young woman, with short black hair in two braided pigtails on each side of her head. A pair of large glasses framed her bright and cheerful face. A very cute girl, he thought.

"She smiled when she saw Ayame. "Hello! I heard a new shop was looking for workers."

"My, news travels fast!" Ayame came over. "I'm the owner, Ayame Sohma."

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Mine Kuramae!"

"It is indeed a pleasure! Tell me, do you like clothes?"

"Clothes?! Of course!!" A strange gleam came to her eyes.

Ayame just laughed. "Alright then! Shall we start work now?" (Only Ayame can hire peopled just like that.)

"Yes boss!" Mine said happily.

She began helping him stock the shelves, as though they had been working together forever.

* * *

"Knock knock!" Ayame looked up from the model he was working on at the sound of Shigure's voice.

"Is that my beloved Gure-san?!" He called.

"It is!" Shigure called back, coming into view.

"Come in, come in!" Ayame waved for him to follow, heading into the living area and sitting on a couch.

Shigure sat across from him just as Mine showed up in the doorway, wearing the latest outfit she had picked out from the stock.

"Shigure-kun is visiting?"

Shigure looked up at Mine. "It's been a while, Mine-kun."

"Yes. Should I make some tea, boss?"

"That would be wonderful, Mine!"

"It really has been a while."

Shigure said, scratching the back of his head. 'How's business been, Aaya?"

"Wonderful! And I do not need any other assistants while Mine is here-she is perfect for the job!"

"How long has it been since you opened? A year?"

"Hm, yes! Amazing, isn't it?"

They chatted amicably about light topics, waiting for Mine to bring in the tea.

She brought it in, setting the tray on a table and sitting down next to Ayame on a stool as he poured them all a drink.

"Is there a reason you came to visit, Shigure-kun?" Mine asked curiously.

"Actually, there is!" Shigure looked at Ayame. "I kept forgetting to tell you, but I've got a house outside the main house."

"_Really?_ Gure-san is living outside now?" Ayame sounded intrigued. "Do you like it"

Shigure nodded. "It's not bad. Right in the middle of the woods." His expression changed from happy-go-lucky to serious. "There's something else, too…Yuki's staying with me now."

Ayame's expression was unreadable as Shigure continued, expression happy once again, "Yep! I even got Haru to call me Sensei! He was the one to ask me to get Yuki out, so now he calls me Sensei!"

Shigure finished his tea and stood up, putting on his coat. "Well, I'd better be going. I'm meeting my new editor today, and I'm already late."

"Yes! Allow me to walk you to the door, dear Gure-san!" Ayame sprang up. "We cannot keep you from your noble profession! Whatever happened to your _last_ editor, though, Gure-san?"

"Huh? She got tired of the job and quit…"

"Such a shame! She was a very handsome girl."

Mine stayed seated on the stool, watching Shigure and Ayame exit. In a few moments, Ayame came back in, holding a variety of scraps of cloth in his arms.

"Mine, what do you think of these designs?" He sat on the floor facing her, so that she was higher than he was, and spread the fabrics on the floor between them.

"Who's…Yuki-san?" Mine asked slowly, looking at her boss' bent head.

Ayame paused in what he was doing, but didn't look up. "Yuki is…"

"_Don't tell me…you've forgotten his name?" _

"He is…my little brother."

"Really?" Mine asked, surprised, looking at the ceiling, then smiling down at Ayame again. "I would like to meet boss's otouto-kun some time."

"You might never get a chance to," Ayame said, looking up. There was a distant look in his eye. "Yuki…you see, Yuki hasn't had a very pleasant life since he was a child. Mother treated him like an animal to b e tamed and sold, sending him to live with the head of the family in exchange for receiving money. I think it might've been this that broke him more than anything…and I was no better. I ignored him, and the one time he actually reached out to me for help, I brushed him away." Ayame had never really thought about it before, but as he spoke, he realized how bad things must be.

All the zodiac members had seen how Akito had suddenly changed, becoming dangerous and unpredictable. What must it have been like for Yuki, who was with Akito at almost all times? He couldn't imagine.

Mine tilted her head to one side slightly. "Are you sad?"

Though he was seated on the floor, Ayame was still not that much shorter than Mine, and he leaned forward, putting his head on her shoulder.

_I'm not sad…I'm pathetic._

* * *

Mine pulled the needle through the layers of fabric. She was working on another outfit she wanted to wear. Besides orders for customers, she and Ayame sometimes made new outfits for themselves.

Even though the shop was closed today there was still work to do, and Ayame was visiting Shigure.

Actually, it was the first time he felt like Yuki might need him, he had told Mine, and he had gone to see if he could begin to bridge their relationship, and start again. Mine had wished him the best of luck and sent him off a few hours ago.

Just as she was wondering when he would get back, the bell on the door jingled, and Ayame's familiar voice rang out. "I have returned, Mine!"

Mine got up, smiling as Ayame came around the corner. "How did it go, boss?"

"I never really needed to give any support to Yuki, and we may have ended up not getting any better…" Ayame said seriously, then his face grew bright again. "…but there is a lovely girl living there- Tohru-kun. She seems to be healing not only Yuki, but Kyonkichi as well-such an extraordinary ability. She gave me wonderful advice too." Ayame said, recalling what Tohru had told him at lunch.

_"If you can really remember how you felt when you were a child…even when you're an adult of parent then you can understand each other. Even if it's not 100...you can meet each other halfway…"_

"I should tell Yuki about my wonderful high school experiences, no?" Ayame said, laughing confidently. "After all, he is in high school now!"

Mine just smiled and listened.

"Now Mine, I must return! I said that I would reach out a hand to my little brother! Will you take care of business while I'm gone?"

"Of course!" Mine replied. "Leave it to me!"

* * *

Ayame sat on a couch, reading. It was actually a book for the store, with pictures of things Ayame thought might be fun to try.

He was shocked when he heard the bell on the door ring, and a familiar voice calling quietly. "Hello? Nii-san, are you here?"

Ayame got up and literally ran into the shop. "Why, Yuki! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?"

"Actually, I'm here to pick up a book Shigure says you borrowed from him. He was trying to ask Honda-san to do it, but I decided I didn't want to make her come here again."

"Oh, Yuki, you make it sound like my shop is a _bad_ place!"

"He says…" Yuki muttered, so Ayame didn't hear.

"Oh, I see! You were being a gentleman! Instead of making the lady make the trip, you made the trip- how noble of you, my dear brother!"

"Nii-san, the book." Yuki reminded him tiredly.

"Right this way!" Ayame responded to the change in topic instantly. He led Yuki to the house, then left him standing uncomfortably in the doorway as he looked through several piles.

Ayame ended up looking under the couch. "Oh there it is. I see it- but I can't reach it. Yuki, would you be so kind as to help my?" Ayame looked up at his younger brother.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, sure. How on earth did it get under there?" Yuki asked, raising an eyebrow as he walked over.

"Here-lift that end." Ayame pointed.

Yuki picked it up easily, pulling up one end as Ayame reached under, grabbed the volume.

Yuki grunted as he put the couch down ,and Ayame was immediately all over him in concern.

"Oh, how thoughtless of me! Yuki, you haven't strained your fair arms, have you?!"

"I'm fine." Yuki replied, brushing off his brother's weird sense of worry.

"Yuki, you should stay a while! We brothers must strengthen out bond, so that we will never be parted! I shall mentor you as your older brother and teach you all the wonders of the world!"

A vein popped in Yuki's head, and he reached for the book. "Goodbye, Nii-san." He walked towards the door with Ayame following.

"Come, Yuki, you really should stay longer! Wouldn't you like some tea?"

"I've got homework to do." Yuki said impatiently, reaching for the door. As he grabbed the handle, he paused.

"Maybe…we could…go out for lunch sometime…" He said, quietly and unsurely, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to suggest it. He half-turned his head back, but opted to look at some shelves instead of Ayame's face. "It's…different…"

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Yuki…" Ayame said quietly, his unusually normal tone making Yuki turn and look at him. "…OF COURSE!! We shall schedule a day on which we will not be separated from each other! We will spend the day together and then become inseparable! I understand completely!" Ayame declared loudly.

"Obviously _not_! I said _lunch_!" Yuki shouted, another vein showing up. He turned to go, but heard Ayame talking on the phone.

"Tori-san, guess what?! Yuki, yes, _that_ Yuki-"

"Good_bye_, Nii-san!!" Yuki shouted, trying to drown out his brother. He opened the door, angry and flustered with a blush on his face as he left.

* * *

Shigure looked up as he heard the door slam.

"Yuki? Is that you? Did you get my book?"

Shigure tsk-ed as Yuki dumped the book next to him unceremoniously. "Now, Yuki, that's no way to treat a book."

"That is the last time you make other people do _your_ errands." He said, tiredly again, then headed upstairs to do his homework.

Shigure watched Yuki walk away, then sighed, shaking his head and smiling. "Good luck Aaya."

* * *

Aneko: Woooow... This ended up much, much, much longer than I planned. If you're wondering, each section skips around in different times, except the first and last couple. Nn…this is probably so far the longest oneshot I've written…-- I feel tired…

THIS IS A ONESHOT!! I am not going to continue this, mostly because even I can't deal with Ayame for that long, plus I have many other things I am trying to write right now. Sorry.


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